According to reports, the Manang Air helicopter, which had gone missing near Mount Everest in Nepal, has been found crashed in the Lamjura area of Likhupike Rural Municipality in Solukhumbu district. The bodies of all six individuals on board have been recovered. Initial media reports suggest that the foreign nationals among the deceased are believed to be Mexicans.

“The helicopter has been found at the border of Likhu PK village council and Dudhkunda Municipality-2 commonly called Lamajura Danda. The villagers have retrieved the five bodies,” Koshi province police DIG Rajeshnath Bastola told news agency ANI. The helicopter seems to have hit a tree on the hilltop, the police said.

“Identities of the retrieved bodies are yet to be ascertained,” Bastola added.

“The chopper was en route to Kathmandu from Solukhumbu and got disconnected with the control tower at around 10am,” information officer Gyanendra Bhul earlier said.

"Total persons on board: 6 (5 passengers + 1 captain). Altitude Air helicopter departed from Kathmandu for search and rescue," tweeted the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

According to The Kathmandu Post, the area where the helicopter crash occurred is situated between Lukla and Phaplu. Citing statements from Nwang Lhakpa Sherpa, the deputy chair of the rural municipality, the report states that local residents have relayed information that the crashed chopper was discovered at Chihandanda in Lamjura, specifically within the Bhakanje village.

Reports suggest that the helicopter involved in the crash was operated by Kathmandu-based private company Manang Air. The helicopter was transporting five foreign tourists from the Solukhumbu district in eastern Nepal, known for its mountainous terrain, to the capital city of Kathmandu.

According to sources from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport, the helicopter was piloted by senior captain Chet Gurung, as reported by The Himalayan Times.

As the rescue operation continues, a detailed report on the incident is yet to be released, according to a senior official at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).

Eyewitnesses in the local area have informed the official that the helicopter crashed with a loud explosion, with flames visible at the crash site.

Local authorities have deployed police personnel to the area, while previous attempts to locate the crash site using two helicopters had to be aborted due to adverse weather conditions, stated the senior airport official. The exact cause of the crash remains unknown at this time.

According to the MyRepublica news portal, citing reliable sources, the bodies of five out of the six individuals on board the helicopter have been discovered at the crash site.

Earlier, TIA spokesperson Teknath Sitaula told My Republica news website, "It has been reported that the helicopter of Manang Air is out of contact, there is no contact with the tower when it reached the Lamjura pass, it was reported that the helicopter only received a 'hello' message on Viber, the search is underway”.

Image source: HT